Years ago,,,got into a den of copperheads mating in the springtime,,that is when they are meanest..you really need to be aware of your surroundings mushroom hunting southern indiana..also a friend of mine killed a timber rattler,,in the residential district of Shoals,,about 3.5 ft long ,,with a hoe,,as all the kids play in everybodys yards too,,and DNR came down after they found out about it and gave him a 150.00 ticket for killing an endagered species so you want to watch out eradicating any rattlers in Indiana. I killed one last yr. in my driveway,